A Stirrer Campaign

CERYS GETS £800,000 - BUT THE FIGHT GOES ON

06-05-2008

The Stirrer is proud to offer its support to the family of Cerys Edwards – the Sutton Coldfield toddler today awarded £800,000 after being left brain damaged and paralysed by a speeding motorist. Cerys’ parent are appealing for a change in the law after Antonio Singh Boparan was given a sentence of just 21 months for dangerous driving.

In November 2006, Boparan was driving at more than 70mph in Streetly Lane, Sutton, when he overtook another vehicle and crashed head-on with a Jeep, injuring six passengers – including Tracey Edwards, her husband Gareth, and baby Cerys who was then just one.

Tracey and Gareth both sustained serious injuries, but Cerys came off even worse – she has been left brain damaged, paralysed and unable to breathe without a ventilator.

Her parents were advised to switch off her life support but they refused, and to the amazement of her doctors’ she pulled through.

Boparan, 21, became the first motorist to be convicted on the evidence of the “black box” recorder in the car he was driving at the time – but the family are more concerned by the relatively short time he’ll spend in prison.

Gareth Edwards said: “We are pleased that he has been convicted but strongly feel that the maximum two year sentence should have been imposed. Even this would be inadequate considering what has happened to our daughter.

“Cerys could not survive without her ventilator, so in our opinion he should have been facing up to 14 years, the same penalty as causing death by dangerous driving.”

The Edwards’ solicitor Richard Langton of Russell Jones & Walker commented: “Boparan will automatically become eligible for parole after he has served half his sentence.

“What most people don’t realise is that he will also be considered for something called Home Detention Curfew release, with tagging for the last 135 days of his reduced sentence.

“So what looks like nearly two years punishment now could actually be as little as 30 weeks.

“The family know that nothing can turn back the clock, but they feel let down by a criminal justice system with inadequate sentencing and secretive discounts that undermine the punishment and act as no deterrent. He could easily be out by Christmas.”

Cery’s family are now calling for a change in the law in dangerous driving – they say it should be 10 years.

The Edwards also want to restrict the right of inexperienced motorists to get behind the wheel of high performance vehicles – 21-year old Boparan, also from Sutton Coldfield, was driving his mother’s powerful Range Rover at the time of the crash.

They’re calling on the government to introduce legislation prohibiting drivers with less than 2 year's record of insuring a motor vehicle from insuring or driving a vehicle with a power output in excess of 100 BHP. A similar law currently applies to motorcycles.

A court in Birmingham has now awarded the Edwards £800,000 as an interim payment against Boparan’s insurers.

Cerys is currently receiving intensive rehabilitation in Surrey, but the cash will allow her family to buy and adapt a new house in the West Midlands.

To sign the petition click here To make a donation to Cerys and find out more about her, click here

SHOULD THE LAW ON DANGEROUS DRIVERS BE CHANGED? AND SHOULD INEXPERIENCED MOTORISTS BE RESTRICTED IN WHAT THEY CAN DRIVE? LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE STIRRER FORUM.